Jeremías 9:6-16

6 Amontonan mentira sobre mentira
y rechazan por completo reconocerme»,
dice el Señor
.

7 Por lo tanto, esto dice el Señor
de los Ejércitos Celestiales:
«Mira, los derretiré en el crisol
y los probaré como al metal.
¿Qué más puedo hacer con mi pueblo?

8 Pues sus lenguas lanzan mentiras como flechas envenenadas.
Dicen palabras amistosas a sus vecinos
mientras en el corazón traman matarlos.

9 ¿No habría de castigarlos por eso? —dice el Señor
—.
¿No habría de tomar venganza contra semejante nación?».

10 Lloraré por las montañas
y gemiré por los pastos del desierto;
pues están desolados y no tienen vida.
Ya no se escucha el mugido del ganado;
todas las aves y los animales salvajes han huido.

11 «Haré de Jerusalén un montón de ruinas —dice el Señor
—
y será un lugar frecuentado por chacales.
Las ciudades de Judá serán abandonadas,
y nadie vivirá en ellas».

12 ¿Quién tiene suficiente sabiduría para entender todo esto? ¿Quién ha sido instruido por el Señor
y puede explicárselo a otros? ¿Por qué ha sido tan arruinada esta tierra, que nadie se atreve a viajar por ella?

13 El Señor
contesta: «Esto sucedió porque mi pueblo abandonó mis instrucciones; se negó a obedecer lo que dije.

14 En cambio, se pusieron tercos y siguieron sus propios deseos y rindieron culto a imágenes de Baal, como les enseñaron sus antepasados.

15 Así que ahora esto dice el Señor
de los Ejércitos Celestiales, Dios de Israel: ¡mira!, los alimentaré con amargura y les daré veneno para beber.

16 Los esparciré por todo el mundo, a lugares que ni ellos ni sus antepasados han oído nombrar, y aun allí los perseguiré con espada hasta que los haya destruido por completo».

Jeremías 9:6-16 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 9

This chapter is a continuation of the judgments of God upon the Jews for their sins and transgressions herein mentioned; illustrated by the lamentation of the prophet; by calling for the mourning women, and upon other women that had lost their husbands or children, with an intimation that none of any rank and class should escape. The prophet is introduced mourning over the destruction of his people, Jer 9:1, and as uneasy at his stay with them, because of their uncleanness, treachery, lying, unfaithfulness, and deceit, Jer 9:2-6, wherefore the Lord threatens to melt and try them; and for their deceitfulness particularly to visit them, and avenge himself on them, Jer 9:7-9, the destruction is described by the desolation of the mountains and habitations of the wilderness; they being so burnt up, that there were neither grass upon them, nor beasts nor birds to be seen or heard about them; and of Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, so that there was no inhabitant in them, Jer 9:10,11, upon which a wise man is inquired after, to give the true reason of all this, Jer 9:12 but none appearing, the Lord gives it himself; which were their disobedience to his law, and their worship of idols, following the imagination of their own hearts, Jer 9:13,14 wherefore they are threatened to be fed with wormwood and gall; to be scattered among the nations, and a sword sent after them to their utter consumption, Jer 9:15,16, hence, for the certainty of it, mourning women are ordered to be called for in haste, to assist them in their mourning, on account of their distress, Jer 9:17-19, and such as were mothers of children are bid to teach their daughters and neighbours lamentation, because of the children and young men cut off by death, and for the carcasses of men that should fall as dung in the field, and as the handful after the harvestman, Jer 9:20-22, and it is suggested that none should escape; not the wise man by any art or cunning he was master of; nor the strong man by his strength; nor the rich man by his riches; and therefore ought not either of them to glory in these things, but in the Lord, as exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth, Jer 9:23,24, and the chapter is concluded with a strong asseveration, that the wicked, both circumcised and uncircumcised, should be punished, Jer 9:25,26.